Information about the participation at the 3rd Flussbad Berlin Cup 2017

Also this year, in addition to the swimming competition geared towards experienced open-water swimmers, we are holding a non-competitive swim for ambitious recreational swimmers!

EILMELDUNG: Absage des Schwimmteils der Veranstaltung

This year, the non-profit association Flussbad Berlin e.V. organises a so-called “River Swimming” for ambitious recreational swimmers in addition to the by now established swimming competition. Taking part in the “River Swimming”, the participants have the possibility to enjoy a swim (non time based) along the future river bath in front of the backdrop of the Museum Island.

The 3rd Flussbad Berlin Cup thus is not only aimed at ambitious swimmers but also at recreational ones.

Organiser of the event is the non-profit association Flussbad Berlin e.V. in cooperation with the Berlin Triathlon Union and the Berlin Waterworks. The task of securing and safeguarding the route will be handled by the teams at the Berlin branches of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) and the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG).

General Conditions (Subject to change)

Date of the swimming competition: July 2nd, 2017

Route/Distance: 1,000 m (2x500 metres) Start & finish in the water at the southern end of the Monbijou Bridge; turning point after 500 metres at the Lustgarten. The competition will begin in the water (PDF).

Protective swimsuits Wearing protective swimsuits is permitted, unless any relevant security measures speak against it on the day of the event.

Age restrictions The minimum age for all participants is 16 years (individuals under the age of 18 are permitted to participate only with the written consent of a parent or guardian (PDF). The participant's age will be determined by calculating the age they will be on the day of the event.

Registration The online registration is available from March 1st, 2017 onwards – please scroll down on this page. The deadline for the online registration is Sunday, June 25th, 2017, at midnight.

Starting Fee Participants must pay a starting fee of €15 (discount price, €5*) via wire transfer. * We offer a discount exclusively for all members of the association Flussbad Berlin. You can become a member here.

Late registrations The number of individuals participating in the Flussbad Berlin Cup and the River Swimming is limited due to capacity constraints. An early online registration is therefore recommended. On the day of the event, depending on the number of participants confirmed in advance, it might still be possible to register spontaneously at the last minute on site.

On site The registration and changing areas as well as toilets and sanitary facilities will be located on the premises of the "Märchenhütte am Monbijoupark" on Monbijoustraße 3, 10117 Berlin (site plan). There will be guarded changing rooms (separate for men and women), cold-water showers as well as warm and cold drinks and fruit provided. Access to the closed-off participant area at the Märchenhütte will only be granted to registered participants (with the official armband).

Special features

The Spree Canal runs along Museum Island and is not designated as an official bathing area. For this reason the competition poses a health risk as a result of pathogens in the water. In order to avoid any risks due to possible diseases, the water in the area of the competition will be tested for microbes by a specialist laboratory on two different days shortly before the event. Divers will also search the swimming area for potential objects, hindrances and any additional risks prior to the event (see also technical information). Nonetheless, any contact with the channel bottom should be absolutely avoided. In addition, if there are storms and/or heavy rainfalls shortly before the competition, it is possible that the quality of the water along the swimming route will decrease significantly as a result of the discharge of mixed wastewater from the sewage system. If this is the case, the competition might have to be cancelled at the last minute. The access to the water is not barrier-free (stairs) and the route brings special challenges with it. We offer support to disabled people by trained helpers (please use the contact option in the registration form).

Terms & Conditions (Subject to change)

– All participants are registered. – All participants must be in good health and have excellent physical endurance. – The minimum age for all participants is 16 years. Individuals under the age of 18 are permitted to participate only with the written consent – of a parent or guardian. The participant's age will be determined by calculating the age they will be on the day of the event. – All participants take part in the competition at their own risk. When registering, participants accept a corresponding disclaimer. – Seeing as the competition will be documented on film and in photographs, each participant will be asked upon registration to declare their consent to the use and publication of film and photographic material. – All participants must wear the bathing cap.

Competition

The competition (time based) is aimed at skilled open-water swimmers (i.e. individuals who can swim 1,000 metres under 20 minutes) who have experience in similar open-water competitions (site plan). The time will be taken manually. The participants will receive their start numbers together with their starter package. The swimmers with the fastest times (male and female) will be awarded the Flussbad Berlin Cup ("Pokal"). Those participants who come in second and third will receive prizes in kind. All participants will receive a personalised certificate (digitally). Each participant's time will be published on our website within one week after the competition.

River Swimming

The River Swimming (non time based) is aimed at good swimmers who have excellent physical endurance yet don't necessarily have any experiences in competitions (site plan). The participants will receive a starter package, too, but without a start number. No time will be taken. All participants will receive a personalised certificate (digitally). The swimming route will be open from 2.30 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. to all participants registered for the River Swimming.

Schedule (Subject to change)

The competition will presumably take place from 1.00 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. The River Swimming will take place following the competition from approx. 2.30 p.m. until 5.30 p.m. and will be open to all registered participants for the River Swimming. Further information concerning the schedule will be published in due time.

How to apply

The registration takes place in two (or three) steps:

Step 1 Transfer of the application data via the registration form (please scroll down this page). After the successful application you will be forwarded to a confirmation page.

Step 2 Wire transfer of the starting fee within 3 working days.

Step 3 (for participants under 18 years) Participation is only granted with the written consent of a parent or guardian (PDF)

Confirmation of application After successful submission of the registration data and starting fee payment the registration is valid (without further confirmation). We will only contact the participants in case of discrepancies. We will communicate further information regarding the schedule and possible changes in due time before to the event via e-mail.

Starter package All participants will receive a starter package including a bathing cap and an armband that gives them access to the closed-off area containing the changing rooms and sanitary facilities. The starter packages can be collected on Thursday (June 29th, 2017) and Friday (June 30th, 2017) at selected pick-up-stations in Berlin. The locations will be communicated in due time. Alternatively, we offer to send the starter packages to a specified postal address from beginning of June 2017 onwards (possible for all registrations which are submitted online until May 31st, 2017).

Cancellation Cancellations of the registration can be made until two weeks prior to the event (Sunday, June 18th, 2017) by sending an e-mail to: pokal2017@flussbad-berlin.de stating the given name and surname. The cancellation fee is € 5, the remaining amount will be transferred to the stated bank account.